The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the current Trump administration, has intensified efforts to address the presence of approximately 18,000 known and suspected terrorists reportedly residing within U.S. borders, a figure highlighted by National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent during a December 2025 congressional hearing. This number includes around 2,000 Afghan nationals admitted through the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, along with others who allegedly entered due to lax border policies. DHS is collaborating closely with the FBI and intelligence agencies to identify and locate these individuals, leveraging the Terrorist Screening Database to track ties to groups like ISIS-K and narco-terrorist organizations. Recent operations have led to high-profile arrests, such as that of an Afghan national in Virginia accused of supporting ISIS and another in Texas plotting a 9/11-style attack, demonstrating proactive use of joint task forces to disrupt potential threats before they materialize.

To apprehend these suspects, DHS has ramped up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, resulting in over 1,538 arrests and 1,534 removals of known or suspected terrorists since the administration took office. This includes targeting gang members from MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, who are often intertwined with terrorist networks. Enhanced border security measures have added about 35,000 narco-terrorists to watchlists, preventing an additional 6,000 from entering the country. DHS also employs advanced information sharing with state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement to execute warrants and conduct raids, as seen in the disruption of a planned attack in Michigan just before Halloween 2025. These efforts are supported by legislative funding, such as the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, which bolsters frontline personnel and counterterrorism capabilities.

Looking ahead, DHS is expanding transparency initiatives, such as updating the WOW.DHS.GOV database with details on 5,000 more criminal illegal aliens, including those with terrorist affiliations, to aid public awareness and inter-agency coordination. Multilateral partnerships, informed by past frameworks like the Global Counterterrorism Forum, continue to refine strategies for repatriation, prosecution, and rehabilitation of foreign terrorist fighters. By prioritizing vetting processes and closing border vulnerabilities that allowed these entries under previous policies, DHS aims to systematically reduce the terrorist footprint in the U.S., with ongoing operations expected to yield more arrests and deportations in the coming months.

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